Most of us have started The 40 with high expectations, however, now the real work begins. The day to day living it out can be hard since we must constantly seek to overrule our flesh and give ourselves to the Lord.

Now is the time to encourage ourselves in The Lord the benefits of keeping The 40 and continuing to walk with Holy Spirit in spite of what our bodies might be telling us.

Prayer and fasting gives us the power to accomplish the “impossible”. Of course, we know that “nothing shall be impossible with God”, yet we still live our lives with “impossible” situations which do not seem to respond to us.

Jesus’ disciples had this same problem while He was on the mount being transfigured. A man whose son is assaulted by demons asks for their help. Though they try, they can do nothing about it. When Jesus returns, He easily casts out the demons and heals the boy. He does not seem to be impressed with His disciples’ efforts either. The disciples come to Him and ask why they could not do the same. This is His response:

Matthew 17:20“Because of yourunbelief; for assuredly, I say to you,if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

We do not know what was going on in the disciples’ minds, but Jesus did not ever shy away from directly addressing what people said in their hearts. I believe the disciples did not see a response and had blamed it on not having enough faith. Jesus directly confronts this with The Kingdom Truth that the smallest amount of faith can do the mightiest things in His Kingdom. They had let doubt creep in and this kept them from pressing in to see transformation take place.

Matthew 7:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

What kind is Jesus talking about?

Some would say demons, but I think He is talking about the unbelief. Unbelief is a pesky little problem that constantly assaults our media-driven culture. If we cannot see or hear something happening, it is quite hard for us to believe. We can never see the shifting in the heavens when our eyes are on worldly circumstances.

If unbelief keeps us back from doing mighty work in The Kingdom, we should be quick to follow Jesus’ cure for it, prayer and fasting. This dynamite duo is able to demolish and disintegrate the demonic unbelief that has built up in our lives. This is how we say, “God I trust You to take care of the unseen as I partner with You in the physical. I need you to do the “impossible” work of overcoming these spiritual obstacles in me while I do the possible work, with Your help, of prayer and fasting.”

Jesus, help me to know that you have given me a measure of faith. This faith has the power to overcome every seeming impossible thing in my life and those around me. Help me to join with you in prayer and fasting that all unbelief within me will be destroyed and Your mountain-moving faith will be displayed for all to come and glorify You.

Practical –

Ask Holy Spirit to reveal the things in your life and around you that you have labeled as impossible

Pray that every ounce of unbelief is removed from your life

Participate with Him in doing the impossible whatever He shows you to do

Be blessed with the power to remove all doubt and do the impossible as you walk with God in obedience and humility. May this propel you into new levels in The Kingdom!

The fast is beginning to get real. I would venture to say that most people who have undertaken a complete food fast have not gone past three days. The good news is that it should begin to get easier now. The physically hard part should be over soon if it is not already. A word of wisdom, the spiritually and relationally hard part will probably remain throughout the fast.

The enemy does not want you to go the 40. Temptations will arise. Also, friends and family will inevitably find out and can be your greatest hindrance to completing the fast. While trying to love and take care of you, they will pressure you that it is not healthy to fast, especially 40 days.

My encouragement for you today comes from –

Philippians 3:12-14Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Press on and Press In! Jesus Himself laid down his life that you may be completely saved, healed, and delivered. Can you continue to lay down your flesh for the rest of the 40 days?

There is a secret in the 40 day time period that I will share soon, but now you should recognize that Jesus set the example of the 40 before He began His ministry. Press on and press in for the prize of Jesus Christ! Exponential increase will come as you press in past the normal way of life or even past the normal way of fasting. Relationship increase and depth as well as spiritual insight will be continually advanced as we press in to Him.

Jesus is The Reward!!!

Jesus is Worth it!!!

Jesus is the Prize!!!

I also want to encourage you from –

Esther 4:16-17“Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!” 17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.

Here, Esther calls a three day fast of all her people. There were many fasting before this time if you read vs. 3, but this is an intentional time of fasting and praying together.

What was the result of this three day corporate fast?

The government of the day was influenced to overthrow a demonically inspired law and an entire people group were saved. That is the power of the three day fast that we are now advancing past.

Nations and people groups will be changed as you press on and press in to Him.

What transformation can take place in you, your family, your neighborhood, city, and nation as a result of a simple 40 days of fasting and prayer?

Jesus, give me the strength and ability to press on through the struggles that I might press in to knowing Your heart. I desire to see supposedly impossible things and people transformed as I press in to you!!!

Practical – Let Holy Spirit guide your Godly dreaming of what can take place through this 40 day fast.

It has been a great to joy to sit back and watch how God has used Katie to take over most of the encouragement this year. With what God is speaking now, I felt it necessary to share this encouragement that will help propel you to the next level in your relationship with God.

Are you in a place of weary waiting? Have you stood on the promises of God and cried out for so long and nothing seems to happen? Do you desire a change of circumstances? Are you desperate for doors to be opened? Are you hungry for new power to be released?

Do you desire to be propelled to the next level?!?!

Many may not receive this as a word of encouragement. Most will ignore it and continue in the same old way of life. Some will accept it as truth, but few will take this word of encouragement and put it into practice and be powerfully propelled into new levels with the Lord.

The principle I am going to speak of was followed by every major player in both the Old and New Testament. Moses, David, Elisha, Peter, Paul, John and so many more all followed this principle and were propelled into new levels of power when they did. It seems strange in knowing all this that anyone who truly follows Christ would be unwilling to participate in this practice. It is never easy for any of us to deny our flesh and follow in the footsteps of Christ. However, obedience will rocket us into the exponential increase that we all desire.

For those who truly desire to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, let us hear what He has to say about this great power available for all who partake in it.

Matthew 6:16 “…when youfast…”

What did He say? Is that in red? Did Jesus actually say the “F” word? Why didn’t He say “IF you fast”? Isn’t fasting just an option for true extremists?

How many of you have been in church for years and never heard anything about fasting? Obviously, this verse must be taken out of context or some obscure part that no one ever reads. I am sorry to say that this is right in the middle of probably the most famous sermon of all time “The Sermon on the Mount”. From this discourse we get, “The Beatitudes”, “The Lord’s Prayer”, “Love your enemies”, and many of the other more famous words of Jesus.

You can read the context for yourself in Matthew 6, but here is a quick refresher.

Matthew 6:3-4 “But when you give, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,that your giving may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

“When you give” is a passage that probably comes up regularly during offering time in the church. Here, the Father rewards the giving that is done out of a right heart. Nobody would deny these words of Jesus as being essential to growth in the Lord.

Matthew 6:6 “…when you pray,go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”

Here is another widely known passage that is followed by the Model Prayer. Everyone would affirm that it is necessary to pray and learn how to pray more and better to proceed in your walk with God. The Father who sees these prayers will reward you for the time spent praying and crying out to Him.

The passage from Matthew 6:16-18 continues in the same parallel repeating twice, “…when you fast…”. The thought is completed as verse 18 ends “your Father who sees in secret will reward youopenly.”

Surely Jesus would not put fasting on the same level as giving and praying in the essential steps to being propelled into the next level in The Kingdom. Whenever I bring up this topic, people groan and look at me like some sort of alien. “I like food too much”, or “that is too hard,” or “you are crazy”, are some of the common responses that I have received just by bringing up one or two verses as I have mentioned above. I encourage you to study fasting throughout the New and Old Testament and see the great men that walked it out and what they gained as a lifestyle of fasting with prayer out of a right heart.

If nothing else, Jesus Himself left us the perfect example. After Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3, He was led by The Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. This was the time of testing that would prove who Jesus really was. What did Jesus do to prepare and continue to stand strong in the midst of the greatest onslaught of the enemy? At the beginning of Matthew 4, we see plainly that Jesus fasted forty days. He gave up the worldly way of gaining strength and power and took up the spiritual empowerment of fasting and prayer. Because of this, He was ready for all the enemy had to throw at Him.

Later in Matthew 17:20-21, prayer and fasting come up again as adynamite combination that allows the impossible to be accomplished through your life. So many of us want a secret formula that will help us overcome the enemy, or the secret weapon that will destroy the enemies’ hold on our lives. Here it is:

“I say to you,if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

If you need more incentive here are just some of the benefits of fasting and praying with the right heart:

Corporate Freedom (The Salvation of a City) – Jonah 3:1-10

Here an entire city, over 120,000 are saved because of repentance, fasting and prayer

2. The Healing of the Land – 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

If you study it out, the main outward expression of humbling yourself before God is fasting.

3. To Influence Government and Save a People – Esther 4:16-17

Esther, Mordecai, and the Jewish people fasted and prayed and God brought deliverance.

4. Personal Freedom and Breakthrough – Isaiah 58

This is probably the best place to view many of the numerous blessings of fasting and prayer out of a right heart.

There are many more benefits and blessings that can be found throughout Scripture if you care to study the topic further.

Before I end, I want to give a few simple definitions of fasting.

Lou Engle states “Fasting and prayer is designed to humble yourself, reveal your flesh, and purify your worship“.

David Hogan says “Fasting is a good way to get hungry“.

A personal definition that I have come up with is giving up a legitimate pleasure as a sacrifice to gain breakthrough and a deepening relationship with the Lord. We do this because we love Jesus, and He is worth it!

I want to encourage you to begin cultivating a lifestyle of prayer and fasting into your Christian walk. Every new level in my personal life has been marked by a new commitment to prayer, fasting, and spending time in The Word.

THIS IS YOUR INVITATION TO INCREASE!!!

From Monday, August 26th – Friday, October 4th God has called me to consecrate a 40 day fast for several reasons not the least of which is Revival and souls for The Kingdom. I encourage you to fast one, two, or all of the three major areas that we are controlled by:

Food

Media

Sleep

Allow God to lead you into the next level of fasting that you may be propelled into the next level with Him.

A word of advice when fasting food more than three days, please study the right way not only to fast but also to break a fast. Often the world understands the health benefits of fasting better than Christians understand the spiritual benefits. Because of this, there are many websites that can aid in fasting and breaking extended fasts.

If you would like to carry on further study here are the three best books I have found on prayer and fasting;

The Atomic Power with God thru Fasting and Prayer by Franklin Hall

Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting by Derek Prince

The Jesus Fast by Lou Engle

May the Lord truly bless you as you prepare to be propelled into the next level with Him. Always remember:

John 12:32(Jesus speaking) “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

Matthew 6:33(Jesus speaking) “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”

John 15:5(Jesus speaking) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Luke 19:10 (Jesus speaking)for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

I remember now why I do not take showers in the morning in Asia. The bone-chilling cold water should be reserved for after sweating all day in the heat. However, I am truly awake now as I write this. This is just one of the few things when God has called us to go, we must give up to say yes.

Your will, your way, your wants and desires are always difficult to give up. “I want it my way.” You may not ever say it out loud, but this is the way you are. I know this, because this is the way I am. Graciously, the Lord granted me several confirmations that this was a trip I was supposed to be on. I do not often get such clear direction and continually receive confirmation I am supposed to go. I usually just give Him my Yes out of faith.

After the 30+ hours of travel, I can say thank the Lord for giving me the ability to say Yes. Sitting on a plane for any extended amount of time is physically uncomfortable, to put it mildly. However, for me, it has always been hard to sleep so it becomes that much more difficult. But none of this matters because I have said Yes to Jesus and His call for me to go. Unfamiliar places, faces, food, accommodations… None of this really matters for I have given my whole-hearted Yes to Jesus and His way.

The people here are worth it because He loves them. Even more than that, He is worth it and I love Him!!! Right now, in your life, what is of the greatest value? What do you love the most? What would you hold on to if everything else was stripped away? What if God called you to give that up to Go for Him? Could you do it?

My prayer for you is that you hear the call of the Lord to Go and that you say as Isaiah did, “Here I am, send Me!!! No matter the cost, no matter the price I will follow You and say Yes!!!” Jesus is worth flying to the other side of the world and giving up so much! In the same way, He is worth it to lay down your fear, pride, selfishness, to walk next door, up the street, down the fruit aisle… Or wherever else He may have you. He is worth it to give all that You have to speak His good news!!! He gave first, and He gave His best for you.

What do you have to give the Creator of the Universe???

I give You my, Yes and my obedience!!! Here I am!!! Send Me!!!

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

What have you done with your life? Who has benefitted? How have you affected history?

Most people are only concerned with surviving themselves and give little thought to others. This is never who you were designed to be. Come to Me! I am The King of kings who laid down His life willingly so that the whole world may live! My sacrifice was for far more than Me and my people. I died for all nations and all people, no matter how dejected, forgotten, or broken, that they may become part of The Kingdom!

Everyone deserves the opportunity to see and know the Truth! Come to me! I will give you everything you need to boldly proclaim the good news of The Kingdom and exhibit it’s power. All nations and people must not only hear, but see the Truth coming forth that they may see, consider, and come to be a part of The Everlasting Kingdom! This is how you will change eternity! I love you My child!!!

Isaiah 52:15 “So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider.”

Do you feel strong, able, competent in every area of your life? Do you have what it takes to get the job done? Can you stand firm when everyone around you falls away?

Most will never admit to feeling weak. No one likes weakness, but everyone wants to be seen as strong. You may be strong in one or more areas, but you will be overcome by the weakness that is in you. The enemy will attack the weakest part of you in order to lead you into temptation, sin, and death. Do not be overpowered or overcome!

Come to Me! Press in to Me! Only I can give you the power to overcome in every area of your life! Your love for Me will enable you to withstand every attack of the enemy Learn to love Me with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength and watch what I will enable you to do!!! I love you My child!!!

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

1 Corinthians 16:13-14“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 14 Let all that you do be done with love.”